Technical Field
This disclosure relates to facial motion capture systems that record facial performances of an actor in a fashion suitable for transfer onto digital characters.
Description of Related Art
Facial motion capture systems use a variety of techniques to record facial performances of an actor in a manner suitable for transfer onto digital characters.
Marker-based motion capture systems record the trajectories of a set of dots or markers on the performer's face and body, typically using a set of cameras fixed to a gantry around the perimeter of a performance volume. If the volume is large, the physical spacing of the cameras may limit the spatial resolution of facial performance that can be captured. If the volume is small, the range of motion of the actor may be restricted.
Alternative designs mount the cameras directly in front of the performer's face using a head-mounted device, such as a helmet with an arm attached to hold one or more cameras pointing at the actor's face. This can improve the resolution of the facial performance, since the cameras record a full view of the face, while still allowing the performer to move freely within the performance capture volume. However, the physical presence of the cameras may introduce discomfort to the actors, and may physically interfere with actions that the actors are to perform.
Markerless motion capture systems also exist for facial motion capture. Such systems employ similar camera arrangements as marker-based capture systems, but record motion based on tracking the natural facial texture of the actor, sometimes augmented with textured makeup. While the lack of markers may improve the density of the recorded information, the same problems in terms of range of motion, comfort, and physical interference may persist.